História da genética no Brasil: um olhar a partir do Museu da Genética da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Vanderlei Sebastiao De Souza,Carlos E.A Coimbra Junior,Ricardo Ventura Santos,Rodrigo Ciconet Dornelles

doi:10.1590/s0104-59702013000200018

Abstract

This work addresses the context of the creation, as well as the structure and contents, of the Museum of Genetics (Museu da Genética), created in 2011 and located in the Department of Genetics of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul), in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The materials available at the Museum of Genetics are a rich resource for research on the history of genetics in Brazil (and especially the genetics of human populations) beginning with the second half of the twentieth century. Despite the prominence of the field of genetics in Brazil, little research has been done on this topic.

Highlights

Ricardo Ventura SantosVanderlei Sebastião de; Dornelles, Rodrigo Ciconet; COIMBRA Júnior, Carlos E.A.; Santos, Ricardo Ventura
Souza, Vanderlei Sebastião de; Dornelles, Rodrigo Ciconet; COIMBRA Júnior, Carlos E.A.; Santos, Ricardo Ventura
Professor emeritus in the Department of Genetics of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, or UFRGS) and one of the most eminent geneticists in Brazil, we see an impressive image depicting his ‘academic genealogy’ (Figure 1). It is in the shape of a tree whose branches represent some of the dozens of master’s and doctoral candidates that he has taught during his career, either directly or as advisee of advisee. Researchers trained by this geneticist, who is a native of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, have formed research groups within UFRGS itself and in other regions of the country that have contributed to the institutionalization and growth of genetics in Brazil in recent decades

Summary

Ricardo Ventura Santos

Vanderlei Sebastião de; Dornelles, Rodrigo Ciconet; COIMBRA Júnior, Carlos E.A.; Santos, Ricardo Ventura. Through a brief analysis of the context of the establishment, structure, and contents of the recently created Museu da Genética (Museum of Genetics), located at UFRGS, this article describes the genesis and trajectory of genetics in Brazil, with a focus on human population genetics in Rio Grande do Sul. We maintain that the materials made available to the public at the Museum of Genetics are a rich resource for research into the history of genetics in Brazil from the second half of the twentieth century on, a topic that has seen little research despite the prominence of the field of genetics in this country

The emergence of genetics in Brazil

Context of the creation and structure of the Museum of Genetics